mcp-for-beginners

Name: mcp-for-beginners
Author: microsoft

Verified

This open-source curriculum introduces the fundamentals of Model Context Protocol (MCP) through real-world, cross-language examples in .NET, Java, TypeScript, JavaScript, Rust and Python. Designed for developers, it focuses on practical techniques for building modular, scalable, and secure AI workflows from session setup to service orchestration.

17,418stars

5,645forks

Jupyter Notebook

Installation

# Add to your Claude Code skills
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners

Getting Started

Guides for using mcp servers skills like mcp-for-beginners.

Security ReportVerified

Last scanned: 4/17/2026

{
  "issues": [],
  "status": "PASSED",
  "scannedAt": "2026-04-17T06:03:46.859Z",
  "semgrepRan": false,
  "npmAuditRan": true,
  "pipAuditRan": true
}

Compare with similar skills

See how mcp-for-beginners compares with popular alternatives.

mcp-for-beginners vs n8n

See comparison

mcp-for-beginners vs scrapling

See comparison

mcp-for-beginners vs context7

See comparison

README.md

Frequently Asked Questions

What is mcp-for-beginners?

mcp-for-beginners is an open-source mcp servers skill for AI coding assistants such as Claude Code, Codex CLI, and ChatGPT, built by microsoft. This open-source curriculum introduces the fundamentals of Model Context Protocol (MCP) through real-world, cross-language examples in .NET, Java, TypeScript, JavaScript, Rust and Python. Designed for developers, it focuses on practical techniques for building modular, scalable, and secure AI workflows from session setup to service orchestration. It has 17,418 GitHub stars.

Is mcp-for-beginners safe to use?

Yes. mcp-for-beginners passed SkillsLLM's automated security scan — a dependency vulnerability audit plus prompt-injection heuristics — with no high-severity issues. You can read the full report in the Security Report section on this page.

How do I install mcp-for-beginners?

Clone the repository with "git clone https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners" and add it to your Claude Code skills directory (see the Installation section above).

What programming language is mcp-for-beginners written in?

mcp-for-beginners is primarily written in Jupyter Notebook. It is open-source under microsoft on GitHub, so you can review or fork the full source.

Are there alternatives to mcp-for-beginners?

Yes. SkillsLLM lists many other MCP Servers skills you can browse and compare side by side. Open the MCP Servers category from the badge at the top of this page, or use the Related Skills and comparison links further down to weigh mcp-for-beginners against similar tools.

MCP for Beginners

Build MCP servers that give AI assistants real capabilities

36 minBeginner

Comments (0)

to leave a comment.

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Related Skills

ECC

by affaan-m

The agent harness performance optimization system. Skills, instincts, memory, security, and research-first development for Claude Code, Codex, Opencode, Cursor and beyond.

275,610

Popular in MCP Servers

Top skills in this category by stars

Scrapling

by D4Vinci

🕷️ An adaptive Web Scraping framework that handles everything from a single request to a full-scale crawl! Don't be shy, join here: https://discord.gg/EMgGbDceNQ and follow here for daily tips and tricks: https://x.com/Scrapling_dev

Developers Also Liked

Based on votes and bookmarks from developers who liked this skill

n8n

by n8n-io

Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.

206,785

nuclear xiaohongshu-mcp

⚠️ Third-Party Software Notice

This skill is third-party open-source software developed and hosted independently on GitHub. SkillsLLM is an informational directory and does not control or maintain the underlying repository.

Any security checks, ratings, or warnings displayed by SkillsLLM are automated and limited in scope. They do not constitute a security certification or guarantee that the software is safe, error-free, or free from malicious code, vulnerabilities, compromised dependencies, or prompt-injection risks.

Review the source code, permissions, dependencies, and configuration before installing or running any third-party skill. Use is at your own risk. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, SkillsLLM is not liable for losses arising from third-party software.

Read the Terms of Service

MCP Serverscsharpjavajavascriptjavascript-applicationsmcpmcp-clientmcp-securitymcp-servermodelmodel-context-protocolmodelcontextprotocolpythonrusttypescript

AI Agentsai-agentsanthropic

n8n

by n8n-io

Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.

206,785

61,028

TypeScript

MCP Serversaiapis

View details

Compare

everything-claude-code

by affaan-m

The agent harness performance optimization system. Skills, instincts, memory, security, and research-first development for Claude Code, Codex, Opencode, Cursor and beyond.

185,940

28,768

JavaScript

AI Agentsai-agentsanthropic

View details

Compare

cc-switch

by farion1231

A cross-platform desktop All-in-One assistant for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Grok Build & Hermes Agent. Only official website: ccswitch.io

141,760

9,472

Rust

AI Agentsai-toolsclaude-code

Turn any codebase, with its docs, SQL schemas, configs, and PDFs, into a queryable knowledge graph. A /graphify skill for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and Gemini CLI: local deterministic AST parsing, every edge explained, no vector store.

124,859

12,057

Python

AI Agentsai-agentsantigravity

An open-source AI agent that brings the power of Gemini directly into your terminal.

107,268

14,707

TypeScript

AI Agentsaiai-agents

View details

Compare

MCP Serversaiai-scraping

context7

by upstash

Context7 Platform -- Up-to-date code documentation for LLMs and AI code editors

62,825

3,058

TypeScript

MCP Serversllmmcp

View details

context7

by upstash

Context7 Platform -- Up-to-date code documentation for LLMs and AI code editors

62,825

3,058

TypeScript

MCP Serversllmmcp

View details

Scrapling

by D4Vinci

86,448

8,861

Python

MCP Serversaiai-scraping

View details

github-mcp-server

by github

GitHub's official MCP Server

33,465

5,113

MCP Serversgithubmcp

View details

code-review-graph

by tirth8205

Local-first code intelligence graph for MCP and CLI. Builds a persistent map of your codebase so AI coding tools read only what matters, with benchmarked context reductions on reviews and large-repo workflows.

31,997

2,931

Python

MCP Serversai-codingclaude

View details

OpenMetadata

by open-metadata

The Open Context Layer for Data and AI , OpenMetadata is the open platform for building trusted data context and business semantics for humans, AI assistants, and agents.

15,428

2,437

TypeScript

AI Agentscontextcontext-layer

View details

MCP-for-beginners

Follow these steps to get started using these resources:

Fork the Repository: Click
Clone the Repository: git clone https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners.git
Join The

🌐 Multi-Language Support

Translations maintained with Co-op Translator

Prefer to Clone Locally?

This repository includes 50+ language translations which significantly increases the download size. To clone without translations, use sparse checkout:

Bash / macOS / Linux:
git clone --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners.git
cd mcp-for-beginners
git sparse-checkout set --no-cone '/*' '!translations' '!translated_images'
CMD (Windows):
git clone --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners.git
cd mcp-for-beginners
git sparse-checkout set --no-cone "/*" "!translations" "!translated_images"
This gives you everything you need to complete the course with a much faster download.

🚀 Model Context Protocol (MCP) Curriculum for Beginners

Learn MCP with Hands-on Code Examples in C#, Java, JavaScript, Rust, Python, and TypeScript

🧠 Overview of the Model Context Protocol Curriculum

Welcome to your journey into the Model Context Protocol! If you've ever wondered how AI applications communicate with different tools and services, you're about to discover the elegant solution that's transforming how developers build intelligent systems.

Think of MCP as a universal translator for AI applications - just like how USB ports let you connect any device to your computer, MCP lets AI models connect to any tool or service in a standardized way. Whether you're building your first chatbot or working on complex AI workflows, understanding MCP will give you the power to create more capable and flexible applications.

This curriculum is designed with patience and care for your learning journey. We'll start with simple concepts you already understand and gradually build your expertise through hands-on practice in your favorite programming language. Every step includes clear explanations, practical examples, and plenty of encouragement along the way.

By the time you complete this journey, you'll have the confidence to build your own MCP servers, integrate them with popular AI platforms, and understand how this technology is reshaping the future of AI development. Let's begin this exciting adventure together!

Official Documentation and Specifications

The current protocol revision is MCP Specification 2026-07-28. The MCP specification uses date-based versioning (YYYY-MM-DD format) to make protocol compatibility explicit.

Version note: this curriculum teaches the current 2026-07-28 concepts, including stateless requests, the Extensions framework, and the deprecation of Roots, Sampling, and Logging. Some hands-on examples remain explicitly versioned to 2025-11-25 while SDK support catches up. See What's Changed in MCP: The 2026-07-28 Specification for the changes and migration guidance.

These resources become more valuable as your understanding grows, but don't feel pressured to read everything immediately. Start with the areas that interest you most!

📘 MCP Documentation – This is your go-to resource for step-by-step tutorials and user guides. The documentation is written with beginners in mind, providing clear examples you can follow along with at your own pace.
📜 MCP Specification – Think of this as your comprehensive reference manual. As you work through the curriculum, you'll find yourself returning here to look up specific details and explore advanced features.
📜 MCP Specification Versioning – This contains information about protocol version history and how MCP uses date-based versioning (YYYY-MM-DD format).
🧑‍💻 MCP GitHub Repository – Here you'll find SDKs, tools, and code samples in multiple programming languages. It's like a treasure trove of practical examples and ready-to-use components.
🌐 MCP Community – Join fellow learners and experienced developers in discussions about MCP. It's a supportive community where questions are welcome and knowledge is shared freely.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this curriculum, you'll feel confident and excited about your new abilities. Here's what you'll achieve:

• Understand MCP fundamentals: You'll grasp what the Model Context Protocol is and why it's revolutionizing how AI applications work together, using analogies and examples that make sense.

• Build your first MCP server: You'll create a working MCP server in your preferred programming language, starting with simple examples and growing your skills step by step.

• Connect AI models to real tools: You'll learn how to bridge the gap between AI models and actual services, giving your applications powerful new capabilities.

• Implement security best practices: You'll understand how to keep your MCP implementations safe and secure, protecting both your applications and your users.

• Deploy with confidence: You'll know how to take your MCP projects from development to production, with practical deployment strategies that work in the real world.

• Join the MCP community: You'll become part of a growing community of developers who are shaping the future of AI application development.

Essential Background

Before we dive into MCP specifics, let's make sure you f